Kazmarski-MUS149-Assignment 4.

1 (Subdivision for 3rd Grade)

Essential Questions
How is subdivision important in understanding beat structure?
Context
In previous classes the 3rd grade students learned what a whole note, a half note, a
quarter note, and an eighth note are.
National Standards
MU: Cr1.1.3b- Generate musical ideas (such as rhythms and melodies) within a given
tonality and/or meter.
MU:Pr4.2.3a Demonstrate understanding of the structure in music selected for
performance.
MU:Re8.1.3a Demonstrate and describe how the expressive qualities (such as dynamics
and tempo) are used in performers’ interpretations to reflect expressive intent
MU:Cn10.0.3a Demonstrate how interests, knowledge, and skills relate to personal
choices and intent when creating, performing, and responding to music.
Learning Outcomes
Students will clap beat levels and subdivisions in 4/4
Students will define subdivision.
Students will notate whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, and eighth notes.
Students will maintain tempo through clapping.
Students will create their own rhythmic patterns.
Procedure
Demonstrate the duration of a whole note through a clap and displaying the beats with
fingers. (Ex: Clap, 2, 3, 4)
Class claps the whole note with the teacher.
Demonstrate the duration of a half note through clapping each note. (Ex: Clap, 2, Clap,
4).
Class claps the half notes with the teacher.
Demonstrate the duration of a quarter note through clapping four times.
Class claps the quarter notes with the teacher.
Demonstrate the eighth notes through clapping the rhythm.
Class claps the eighth notes with the teacher.
Split the class into four groups.
First group claps the whole note.
Second group claps the half note.
Third group claps the quarter note.
Fourth group claps the eighth note.
Have each group clap their beats as individual groups first.
Have each group work together to create their own rhythmic patterns (4 beats per group).
 Have each group present their patterns to the class (students will repeat the new
patterns before moving on to the next group).
Build a pyramid, start with first group, add the second group after the first group goes
through the whole notes twice, add third group after two run throughs of the first and second
group together, add fourth group after two run throughs of the first, second, and third groups
together.
Have each group start at the same time, show the students the beat of which they should
follow.
Hand students the exit ticket sheet listed below.
Assessment
Teacher will visually and aurally assess the students' performance of maintaining the beat
and grade with a never, sometimes, and always rubric.
Criteria Always Sometimes Never
❖ Students were able to maintain beat
while clapping the various beats.
❖ Students were able to maintain beat
while creating their own rhythmic pattern.
❖ Students were able to clap whole, half, quarter
and eighth notes.
Teacher will visually assess how students subdivide with the subdivision exit ticket
presented at the end of class.
Teacher will assess how students respond to questions by noting what they put on the
board and marking correct or incorrect.
Teacher will aurally assess how students create rhythmic patterns in time using the never,
sometimes, and always rubric.
Teacher will visually and aurally assess the students’ performance of each beat level by
using the never, sometimes, and always rubric.
Materials and Citation
A chalk board/white board.
Blank pieces of paper for each student for the exit ticket.
OnMusic Dictionary -. (n.d.). Retrieved On February 27, 2020 from
http://dictionary.onmusic.org/
Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations
Subdivision: To break up a larger metrical pattern into smaller parts so that it may be
more easily understood.
Whole Note: A note having the time duration of half the time duration of a double whole
note.
Half Note: A note that has half the duration of a whole note.
Quarter Note: A note having the time duration of one fourth of the time duration of a
whole note.
 Eighth Note: A note having the time duration of one eighth of the time duration of a
whole note.

Extension
If time permits, have individual students create their own rhythmic patterns and have the
class repeat them.
If time permits, erase the subdivision tree from the board and have individual students fill
it out again from top to bottom to reaffirm their knowledge of the topic.

I affirm that I have upheld the highest principles of honesty and integrity in my academic
work and have not witnessed a violation of the Honor Code.
Zane Kazmarski
Subdivision Tree Exit Ticket- Students will write their definition of what subdivision is as well
as notate the subdivision tree that is drawn on the board and label how many beats each note
value gets on a blank piece of paper formatted at so:
Name _______________ Date _________________ Subdivision Exit Ticket

What is Subdivision?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Draw out the subdivision tree:
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________